Various types of bipod supports for shotguns and rifles are known in the art. However, conventional supports are unduly complex, costly, and made from a multitude of parts that can malfunction or become disassembled and lost.
The present invention provides a simple, one-piece support that is easy to use and install, will not interfere with the shooter's aiming or firing of the gun, and is rugged and long-lived. It can be installed on the gun without using any tools, and requires no modification of the gun itself. It causes no damage or injury of any kind to the gun when installed thereon. The support is particularly suited for use by waterfowl hunters who employ the technique of lying on their back in a field while covered with camouflage material, awaiting the arrival of game birds. Such hunters need a way of supporting the muzzle end of the gun barrel up and out of mud, debris and moisture while they rest the gun alongside themselves on the ground. It is also well suited for other types of still hunting, such as turkey and dove hunting, and can be used to support the gun for display purposes, such as on a mantel or shelf.
In one preferred embodiment, the support comprises a one-piece, integrally molded body having a generally horizontally extending, tubular hub that can be slipped onto and off of the muzzle end of the barrel. A pair of support legs diverge downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of the hub and terminate in lowermost, ground-engaging tips that are adapted to keep the barrel up off the ground. Preferably, the support is constructed from a synthetic resinous material and has a slot along the top of the hub that permits opposed halves of the hub to be slightly resiliently opened and closed to facilitate installation and removal of the support from the gun barrel. The legs may be advantageously grasped and squeezed by the user to effect such resilient flexing of the hub.